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ESPN Might Drop Doris Burke From NBA Broadcast Team Next Season

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Recently, ESPN has been under scrutiny from critics regarding various issues such as its NFL draft coverage, handling of Inside The NBA (which it acquired from TNT), and potential changes in its NBA game commentary team. Now, further discussions about the network are arising due to reports indicating that they might be planning to alter their current NBA game commentary squad. With Richard Jefferson, Doris Burke, and Mike Breen gearing up for the 2025 NBA Finals, a rumor is circulating that this will likely be their final series together.

For some time now, ESPN has relied on a trio for their NBA coverage, but it appears that this particular team might not stay together as reported by The Athletic. Two of these individuals seem to have secured spots in ESPN’s game-day broadcasting team moving forward, while one may be moving to another location.

ESPN Is Reportedly Considering Taking Doris Burke Off Its NBA Commentary Team Next Season

According to recent news, there are rumors suggesting that Doris Burke may not have a permanent position on ESPN’s commentary team for the NBA season spanning 2025-2026. On the other hand, Mike Breen has already signed a multi-year contract and it’s expected that Richard Jefferson will be rehired following his appeal to Amazon and their basketball broadcasting initiatives.

Disney’s sports brand has faced some turbulence in filling broadcasting positions, especially in their NBA coverage. This team was formed following the departure of two analysts for coaching roles. Doc Rivers left to join the Milwaukee Bucks and his spot was taken by former player JJ Redick. However, Redick moved on to become coach of the Lakers, leading to Jefferson taking over the position.

2025 has been quite a challenging year for ESPN and broadcasters, with Shannon Sharpe’s departure due to legal issues and Stephen A. Smith’s disputes with LeBron James adding to the drama. Although I’m not suggesting that controversies would drive the network to change its broadcasting team, some viewers might be disappointed by the choice to exclude Doris Burke from consideration.

Why The Thought Of Potentially Losing Doris Burke On Commentary Makes Me Sad

ESPN often alters its staff or shifts personalities around, but it’s still unfortunate to learn that Doris Burke might no longer be involved in their NBA coverage. As the first female broadcaster to serve as an NBA game analyst on a national scale, she made history by joining the main commentary team in 2023.

More On ESPN

In light of speculations about the future of Inside the NBA on ESPN, a source has disclosed some details about the network’s potential plans.

Doris Burke’s tenure might be brief compared to others, but her expertise and dedication have clearly warranted her this seat at the table. However, due to the contract details mentioned earlier, there may not be much room for changes. Notably, Mike Breen’s extensive background in sports broadcasting could secure his position.

From a film buff’s perspective, it seems like sports networks, particularly ESPN, have been favoring former athletes over sports journalists recently when it comes to staffing their teams. Richard Jefferson, who happens to be a teammate of LeBron James in the past, is a prime example of this trend, with his popularity further amplified by his entertaining social media persona. I can understand why ESPN might want to keep him around for NBA games, but it’s still regrettable that there’s speculation about Burke potentially leaving her position.

Absolutely, at this point, nothing is finalized, but it’s likely that Burke, Jefferson, and Breen will be commentating on the upcoming NBA Finals, which are scheduled to broadcast on ABC starting on June 5th. This promises to be a thrilling series between OKC and the Indiana Pacers, so both hardcore and casual fans might want to catch it!

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2025-06-04 21:10

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